Acetylene-gas apparatus.



No. 644,86l.

' Patented Mar. 6, i900. F. S. HUTOHINSON. AGETYLENE GAS APPARATUS.

(Application filed Nov. 10, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 644,86l. Patented Mar. 6, I900.

F. s. HUTCHINSON.

ACETYLENE GAS APPARATUS.

(Application filed Nov. 10, 1898.)

(No Model.)

2 Shoets8haet 2.

WITNESSES 5 F INVENTOH M 3 ywflidi 5 53- By K ATTORNEYS.

THE NORRIS PETERS co. PNDTO-LWHO WASNINGTON, o, c.

Nl'llED rnrns ATENT trio.

FRANK S. HUTOHINSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AC ETYLEN E-GAS APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,861, dated March 6,1900.

Application filed November 10, 1898. Serial No. 696,005. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK S. HUTOHIN SON, of New York, (Flushing,) inthe county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Acetylene- Gas Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to gas apparatus or machines, but moreparticularly to apparatus for generating and controlling acetylene gas.

The primary object of the invention is to provide simple and efficientmeans whereby the carbid may be automatically supplied in properquantities to the water and the gas generated thereby automaticallycontrolled and conducted to the main or supply pipe at the desiredpressure.

A further object is to provide means for automatically relieving anyexcess of pressure in the gasometer beyond a predetermined point and toconduct such excess of gas to a place of safety or into a suitablereceptacle provided therefor.

Other objects of the invention are to provide means whereby the lime orsediment from the carbid may be quickly' removed without emptying orcleaning the entire generator, to provide simple and efficientautomatically-actuated mechanism for feeding the carbid to the water,and to provide means whereby the gas may be filtered before reaching thesupply pipe or main.

The invention will be hereinafter more particularly described withreference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, and then pointed out in the claims at the end of thedescription.

In the drawings, wherein similar numerals of reference designate similarparts, Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view,partly broken away, of the parts as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3' is avertical section, partly in elevation, of the generator.

Fig. 4is a vertical section of the trap or pressure regulator. Fig. 5 isa vertical section of the filter. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary verticalsection taken on the line VI VI of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is an elevation, onalarger, scale of the carbid-feeding mechanism removed from the casing orgenerator, the feed-belt not being shown. Fig. 8 is a plan View of thefeeding mechanism, showing a portion of the generat'or in section; andFig. 9 is a vertical section, on a larger scale, taken on the line IX IXof Fig. 7.

The generator 10 may be of any desired form and is provided with a plate11, which divides the casing into two compartments or chambers 12 and13, the latter having .a suitable spout or opening 14, through which thechamber13 may be filled withwatcr, and under the spout may be arranged adeflector or chute 15, which is adapted to prevent the generated gasfrom escaping through the spout, though instead of a single casing beingdivided into two compartments or chambers two separate receptacles maybe provided which are adapted to communicate with each other. In theupper chamber 12 is a suitable hopper 16, adapted to contain the carbid,and above the hopper is a suitable cover 17, which fits over the upperend of the generator. The hopper has a back' plate 18 and side plates orguides 18 which fit over and upon a feed-belt 19, so as to prevent thecarbid from leaving the belt except at the forward portion thereof. Thisfeed belt passes around a pulley 20, secured to a shaft 21, and a pulleyorroller 22, secured to the shaft 23, sothat when one of the shafts isrotated, as hereinafter described, the proper quantity of carbid will becarried forward and dropped through the chute2at onto thedeflecting-trough 25. The water forms a seal for the lower end of thechute 24, while the deflector or trough 25 carries the carbid, which isusually coated with a suitable substance to prevent immediate generationof gas to one side of the chute to prevent the gas when generated fromescaping therethrough.

provided with "an opening over which is arranged a perforated plate orcap 27, upon which the carbid may rest and through which the liquid andsediment or lime may pass. The end 26 has an outlet-pipe 28 securedthereto, in which is a suitable valve, as a gatevalve' 29, and beneaththe valve 29 and secured to the pipe 28 is a sediment-tank 30. This tankhas a cover 31, removably secured to which is the casing 82, whichlatter is pro vided with cars 33, to which are pivoted bolts 34, adaptedto engage the slots in the cap or cover, so that by tightening the nutson their too upper ends the two parts will be rigidly held together,while by loosening the nuts sufficiently the bolts may be swung on theirpivots, so as to permit the casing 32 to be removed. The tank may bedifferently arranged than shown and may be attached to the generator inany suitable manner. By means of the tank the sediment may be quicklyremoved without the necessity for emptying the entire generator, as isusually the case.

As the gas is generated it will pass through the water and collect abovethe surface of the same, where it will escape through the pipe 35 into atrap or pressure-regulator 36. The trap has its casing formed of twobox-like telescopic members 37 and 38, in which is kept a suit-ablequantity of water or other liquid. A plate 39 extends some distance intothe liquid and divides the space above the liquid into two chambers ordivisions, so that ordinarily the gas will flow through the pipe 35 and.into the space above the water or liquid on the same side of the plate,where it will escape through the pipe 40 to a suitable gasometer41. Incase of excess of pressure beyond a certain point in the gasometer thegas will exert a pressure on the liquid and will force the same belowthe lower end of the plate 39, so as to permit the gas to pass by saidplate and escape through the pipe 42 to the atmosphere or a receptacleprovided therefor. The liquid in the trap is always kept at a fixedheight, according to the pressure, and as a ready means to secure this apipe 43 passes through the bottom of the member 37 of the casing to theheight of the liquid and is bent or extended on the outside of the trapto a similar or greater height. The outer upper end of the pipe 43 mayhave a funnel 44- for filling purposes and an overflow connection, asshown, to permit any excess of water to flow from the trap.

The pipe 40 from the trap 36 passes through the tank 45 of the gasometerto a pointabove the water-line, and in the tank is a float 46, which isadapted to rise and fall with the varying quantity of gas within thegasometer. The gasometer may be of the usual construc tion, and on thefloat are arranged pulleys or runners 47, which rest against the guidesor uprights 48, which also serve to support the tank, so as to centerthe float during its rise and fall.

For the purpose of automatically and intermittingly feeding a quantityor charge of carbid to the water to permit the float to have sufficientrise to actuate the mechanism I 0011- nect one end of a chain 49 orother flexible connection to the float and pass the same over pulleys 50and 51, located on a cross-bar 52, which is supported by the guides 48,and connect the other end of the chain to a lever 53. This lever isloosely hung on a stud 53, projecting from the casing of the generator,and has a spring-pressed pawl 54 pivoted thereto, which is adapted toengage the teeth of a ratchet-wheel 55. The ratchet-wheel 55 is looselyjournaled on the stud 53 and rotates with a cam-wheel 56, which latterhas a series of cams or teeth which are adapted to successively engagethe end 58 of a weighted lever 59. The end 58 is adjustably held by aset-screw 60 to the main portion of the lever, so as to permit themovement of the lever to be increased or diminished, the lever beingarranged to rock on the shaft 61 and provided with a weight 62 or othermeans to return it to its normal position. A stop, as 62, limits themovement of the lever 59 in one direction, and on the lever is aspringpressed pawl 63, which engages the teeth of a ratchet-wheel 64, soas to rotate the shaft 61. On the shaft 61 and within the generator is agear 65, which meshes with a gear 66, that is secured to the feed-beltshaft 23, so that when the float of the gasometer falls the lever 53through its pawl 54 will operate the cam-wheel 56 and through it thelever 59, which when released will, by means of the weight 62, cause thepawl 63 and ratchetwheel 64 to rotate the shaft 61 and gears 65 and 66,thus feeding at one time the proper quantity of carbid. The ends of thecams or teeth of the cam-wheel are rounded, so as to prevent the lever62 from leaving it too suddenly when the lever is at the end of itsthrow, thus preventing the shifting to the float of the gasometer aweight equivalent to the force required to operate the lever 59, whichwould or might cause the lights to flicker. It will thus be seen that byfeeding a fixed quantity or charge of carbid each time the float, owingto the quantity of gas generated, will have sufficient rise and fall tooperate the mechanism, which is not the case with the continuous orgradual feed as ordinarily constructed.

A pipe 67 leads from the gasometer from the space above the water to afilter 68. This filter may be variously constructed. As shown, itcomprises a bottom having two concentric upright walls, between which isadapted to fit the open end of a cap or cover 70. The parts areremovably held together, and between the concentric walls there is aliquid to form a seal and prevent escape of the gas. Projecting upwardfrom the bottom is a plate 71, which divides the casing into twocommunicating compartments or chambers, one of which, as 72, is adaptedto contain charcoal to dry the gas and the other, 73, cotton to removefrom the gas any lime that may be carried along therewith. The gaspasses from the gasometer through the pipe 67, the chamber 72, over theupper end of plate 71, through chamber 73, and out through supply pipeor main 74.

The invention will be readily understood from the foregoing descriptionwhen taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Assuming that a supply of carbid has been dropped into the water, thegas generated will pass through the water to the pipe 35 and into thetrap 36 on one side of the plate 39 and out of the pipe 40 into thegasometer beneath the float 46, so as to cause the latter to rise. Asthe latter rises the lever 52 will lower of its own weight; but as soonas the float be gins to fall the chain 49 will raise the outer end ofthe lever and through the pawl 54 will rotate the ratchet-wheel 55 andcam-wheel 56. This rotary movement of the cam-wheel will throw theweighted end of the lever 59 upward, and should the float continue tolower, as it will if the gas is being used, the end of the lever will bereleased, which will cause the pawl 63 to rotate the ratchet-wheel 64,shaft 61, gears 65 and 66,and through the shaft 23 and pulley 22 thefeed-belt 19, thus depositing at one time the desired quantity of carbidthrough the chute 24 into the water in the chamber 13, which operationis repeated with the rise and fall of the float of the gasometer. Thegas passes from the gasometer through the pipe 67, the charcoal-chamber72 of the filter, cotton-chamber 73, and out through the main '74, anyexcess of pressure in the gasometer being relieved by the trap 36, ashereinbefore explained. I thus provide simple and efficient meanswhereby the carbid may be intermittingly and automatically supplied inproper quantities to the water and the gas thus generated automaticallycontrolled and supplied to the main at the desired pressure and atthesame time provide means whereby the gas may be filtered and any sedimentin the generator quickly and easily removed without interfering with theoperation of the machine.

It will be understood that the general arrangement of the parts may bevaried and that the feed mechanism may be varied somewhat or some of theparts dispensed with or others substituted therefor without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. An apparatus of the character described,comprising a generator, a gasometer, automatically-operated means forfeeding carbid to the water in the generator, a trap for relieving anyexcess of pressure in the gasometer, said trap being adapted to containliquid and having a plate dividing the same into two compartments abovethe liquid, an inlet and an outlet pipe connecting one chamber of thetrap with the generator and the gasometer, an escape-pipe connectingwith the other chamber, and a filter for drying and cleansing the gas,substantially as described.

2. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, a feed mechanism comprising a movablebody adapted tocarry the carbid, a lever, means operated by the leverfor imparting motion to the movable body, a second lever, and meansoperated by the second lever for intermittingly operating thefirst-mentioned lever, substantially as described.

3. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, a feed mechanism comprising a movablebelt, a

weighted lever, means operated by the lever for imparting motion to thebelt in one direction, a cam-wheel for moving the weighted lever in onedirection, a second lever, and means operated by the second lever forrotating the cam-wheel,substantially as described.

4. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, a feed mechanism comprising a movablebelt, pulleys around which the belt passes, a shaft, gears connectingthe shaft with one of the pulleys so as to operate in unison, aratchetwheel secured to the shaft, a weighted lever carrying a pawladapted to rock on said shaft and rotate the ratchet-wheel, a cam-wheel,a

second ratchet-wheel rotating with the camwheel, and a second levercarrying a pawl adapted when moved in one direction to operate thecam-wheel,substantially as described.

5. In an acetylene gas apparatus, the combination with a generatorhaving means for holding carbid, a movable body arranged underthecarbid-holding means, a lever having one end thereof adjustable, meansoperated by the lever for imparting motion to the movable body, acam-wheel having a series of teeth with rounded ends adapted to engagethe adjustable end of the lever, and means for operating the cam-wheel,substantially as described.

6. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination with a generatorhaving two compartments or chambers, a hopper arranged in one chamberadapted to hold the carbid, a movable belt arranged under the hopper,said hopper being provided with sides or guides, which rest on the belt,a tilting lever operatively connected with the belt to move it, a secondlever operatively connected to the first lever to move it, means foroperating the second lever, a chute connecting the two chambers, and adeflector or trough arranged below the chute, substantially asdescribed.

7. In an apparatus of the character de scribed,the combination with agas-generator, of a gasometer, and a trap connected with the generatorand the gasometer, said trap containinga liquid and having its bodyportion of two telescopic members, a plate depending from the top of thecasing dividing the space above the liquid into two chambers, andextending some distance below the surface of the liquid, an escape-pipeconnected with one chamber, and inlet and outlet pipes connecting theother chamber with the gasometer and the generator, the pipe fromthegenerator extending below the surface of the liquid, and a pipe forfilling and keeping the liquid in the trap at a fixed height,substantially as described.

FRANK S. HUTOHINSDN.

Witnesses:

' W. B. HUTOHINSON,

O. S. COWLEY.

